Automatic stop for bottle washers



ug. 5 1924.- G. J. MEYER auromnrc STOP FOR BOTTLE WASHERS Original FiledNov. 22 "1915 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l WITNESSES VEN TOQ AT TORNEY G. 'J'.MEYER AuToMA'ric sroavoa BOTTLE wAsHzas Aug. 5

22, 1915 3 Sheets--Sheet 2 5 m x w Original Filed Nov.

WITNESSES ,4. fir. 6W?

ATTO/QN E Y Aug. 5 1924. 1,503,512

cai J. MEYER AUTOMATIC STOP FOR BOTTLE WASHERS Original Filed Nov'. 221915 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES INVENTOI? 1 I I 5 ATTOQNE Y.

' which the followin Patente Aug. 5, 124.

GEORGE J. MEYER, O'F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO GEO. J. MEYERMANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS-CONSIN.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR BOTTLE WASHERS.

Original application filed November 22, 1915, Serial No. 62,706. Dividedand .this application filed June 9,

' 1919. Serial No. 302,883. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, andres 1dent of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsln, have invented newand useful Improvements in Automatic Stops for Bottle Washers, of

is a description, reference being had to t e accompanying drawings,which are a part of this speclfication.

This invention has for its ob set to provide a bottle washing machine ofthe type in which the bottle conveyor is given continu ous travellinmotion, and the washlng and brushing mec anism is iven a reciprocatingtravel to co-operate wit the bottles successively while the latter aretravelllng, such type of bottle washer beingjexemplified Patent No.1,095,290 to anlel Schm1 dated May 5,1914.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a safety stop mechanismwhlch W111 automatically disconnect the machine from its driving meansupon the occurrence of an abnormal resistance to the operation of themachine from any cause.

Another object of the invention is to perfect details of construction ofsuch a machine generally. I

This application is a continuation and division of, that is containssubject matter taken from, my co-p ending application, Serial No.62,706, filed Nov. 22, 1915, for

bottle washing machine, which a plicationhas become Patent No.1,310,128, ated July 15, 1919.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in theautomatic stop for bottle washers as herein claimed and all equivalents.I

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

- in which like characters of reference indicate cap Fig. 3 is a planview thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detail view on the plane of line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the automatic stop;

Fig. 6 is a side view thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a planview thereof.

Fig. 8 is a rear view of the trip member.

In these drawings 15 indicates a frame in which is journalled a camshaft 17 having gearing connection with a suitably driven shaft 18.Sprocket wheels 19 on a shaft which is geared to cam shaft 17 givemotion to a chain conveyor 20 which passes there- 'around and alsoaround an idle sprocket 21 and another idle sprocket not shown. Thischain conveyor has the links of the chain members connected by woodencross strips 23 forming bottle carriers having tapering openings toreceive the necks of bottles so that the bottles are carried thereby inan inverted position. A pair of cross-shaped frames 24 are suspended bylinks 25, one cross-shaped frame on each side of the frame and togetherform a vertical slotted swinging guide frame carrying the bottleclamping mechanism and the brushing and rinsing mechanism. This guideframe is reciprocated by having a roller 26 on one of the links 25travelling in a cam groove of a cam gear 27 on the cam shaft 17, whichgroove is so shaped as to produce the slow forward and quick returnmovement of the frame. Slidably mounted in the vertical slots of theframes 24 is a lower clamping frame 28 which is moved vertically in theslots by means of adjustable links 29 connecting it with levers 30,which are pivotall mounted on the frames 24 and are operate by a bellcrank lever 31 fulcrumed on the frame 15 and having a roller at one endriding in a cam groove of the cam gear 27. A link 32 at the other endconnects it with one of the levers 30. On the lower clamping frame 28are carried rows of spring-pressed telesco ing sleeves 33 to formyielding funne shaped bottle-mouth-engaging members through which brushspindles 34 pass to enter the bottles, as will be later described. Onthis frame also are a series of water pipes 35 having funnel-likebottle-mouth-engaging members 36 to fit against the bottles, while jetsof water are ejected through openings in the pipes into the interiors ofthe bottles, there preferably being one of said water pipes ahead of thetwo rows of brushes, and

two of the water pipes at the rear of, each row of brushes, as shown, sothat each bottle will first receive a rinsing, then a preliminarybrushing, then a final brushing, followed by a second rinsing and athird rinsing as it travels through the machine.

Also slidably mounted in the vertical guide slots of the movable frames24 is an upper clamping frame 37 which is lowered at the same time thatthe lower frame is raised. This movement of the upper clamping frame isproduced by adjustable connecting rods 38 connecting it with the shorterends of levers 30.

The upper clamping frame 37 has a pair of horizontal rods 39 at its endswhich form pivotal supports for a number of bottle gage frames 40. Thesegage frames carry gage members 41 at their ends directly above the brushspindles 34, and have downwardly projecting cam fingers thereon toreceive and center the bottoms of the bottlesbetween them and hold thebottles in clamping relation with the yielding funnel-shaped sleeves 33while the internal scrubbing by means of the brushes on spindles 34 isbeing performed. The gage frames 40 are releasably held in their normalpositions by springpressed clamping jaws 42 thereon engaging the lowersurfaces of square clamping rods 43 extending across the clamping frame37 and ositioned with their diagonals vertical and orizontal. The springclamps 42 hold the gage frames 40 in their normal positions until theyare overcome by an abnormal pressure on the bottles, as upon a brushspindle 34 being lifted against a crowned bottle or a bottle containinga cork or other obstruction. The bottle being lifted by the upwardmovement of the brush spindles carries the jaws of the spring clamp 42above the engaged surfaces of the clamping rods 43 and the gage frame isfree to swing upwardly to allow the bottle to be lifted without injuringthe mechanism. There are as many bottle gage frames 40 as there arebottle openings 1n each of the bottle carriers 23, but any one of them,when raised, will engage and lift a cross bar 44 which is carried byarms 44 pivotally mounted on the rods 39. Arc-shaped cam blades 45 arecarried by the cross rods 44 at one end thereof and are adapted toengage arc-shaped cam wings 46 on a trip member 47 which is pivotallymounted at 112 on a vertical axis to lugs on the frame 37. An arm 48extending from the trip member 47 is bent outwardly and downwardly toengage a trigger 85 of an automatic stop mechanism to stop the operationof the machine whenever said arm is moved by the swinging of the stopmember 47 incident to the movement of one of the cam blades 45 againstthe cam edge of one of the wings 46, shown in Fig. 4, as upon thelifting of one of the bottle gage frames 40 in the manner described. I

In addition to the clamping frames, the vertical slots of the swingingreciprocated frames 24 serve to guide the vertical movements of a gearbox 53, in which the tubular brush spindles 34 are journalled, and fromwhich they receive a supply of water under pressure. The ends of thegear box 53 while sliding in the grooves of the guide frames 24 arepivotally mounted on the ends of counterweighted levers 60 which arefulcrumed on upstanding pivoted links 61 which in turn are pivotallymounted on the sides of the frame. The two levers 60 are connected attheir outer ends by a counterweight 62 which counterbalances the Weightof the gear box to facilitate the raising and lowering thereof. One ofthe links 61 has an electric motor 63 mounted thereon, or preferably ona separate pedestal pivotally mounted with the link, and a belt 64connects said motor with a pulley 65 on the shaft 55' of the gear boxfor driving the spindles.

A link 66 is mounted on a wrist pin on the cam gear 27 and connects withone arm of a bell crank lever 67 which is' fulcrumed on the frame at113, the other arm of said bell crank being connected by an adjustableconnecting rod 68 with one of the counterweighted levers 60, so that aturning of the said cam gear 27 causes the levers 60 to swing and raiseand lower the gear box with its revolving brush spindles. The adjustableconnection between the connecting rod 68 and the bell crank lever 67comprises a sleeve 69 pivotally connected to the upper end of saidconnecting rod and slidably mounted on the arm of the bell crank 67 andcontrolled by a right and left hand screw 7 O which is threaded in lugson the sleeve and the bell crank lever respectively.

The connection between the connecting rod 68 and lever 60 is a yieldingconnection that will release the connecting rod 68 upon the occurrenceof an abnormal resistance to the upward movement of the brush spindles.This connection preferably consists of a pair of rollers 71 which aremounted on the lever 60 and are held by adjustable spring pressure inengagement with notches on opposite sides of the connecting rod 68, saidrollers being capable of yielding by moving apart when their springpressure is overcome and permitting the rod 68 to slide therebetween. Arod 72 is connected with one of the rollers 71 and connects with a bellcrank 73 in the line of the pivotal axis of lever 60, which bell crankis connected by a rod 74 with an automatic trip mechanism to stop theoperation of the machine as soon as the connecting rod 68 is allowed toslip between the rollers 71, the movement of the rollers in spreadingapart serving to vpull upon the rod 72 and thereby push upon the rod 74to effect such result.

The automatic stop mechanism for stopping the operation of the machinewhen the connecting rod 68 is released vfrom its driving connection withthe lever 60 or when one of-the bottle gage frames is lifted, aspreviously explained, comprises a spring actuated arm 75 which ispivotally mounted on a plate 76 secured to the frame and bears against ashoulder or fixed collar 77 on a clutch operating rod 78 which connectswith a clutch operating lever 7 8 and extends to a position convenientto the attendant. A trigger plate 79 is pivotally mounted between earson the plate 76 and at its upper part is provided with a raised inclinedstop 80 to engage and hold the arm 75 in the full line position of Fig.5 to which it may be moved against the action of its spring either bypressure on the rod 78 or by means of the handle 81 projecting from theupper end thereof. The movement of the arm 75 is limited by stop lugs 82on the plate 76. The stop 80 on the trigger plate 79 is only in positionto engage and hold the arm 75 when said trigger-plate is in its normalforward position to which it is pressed by a coil spring 83 in the rearthereof. The trigger plate 79, however, may

swing rearwardly to. disengage the stop 80 from the arm 75, as by suchupward push on the rod 74, as before mentioned, for said rod connectswith the forwardly extending arm 84 of said trigger plate 79. The fit ofrod 74 in the forwardly extending arm 84 of the trigger plate 79 may besufficiently loose to avoid interference with the swinging ofsaidtrigger plate. When so released by the stop on the trigger plate,the arm is swung by itsspring to its dotted lineposition in Fig. 5, and,in so doing pushes with its rounded bearin' surface against the shoulderof collar 7 on clutch operating rod 78, and thus moves such clutchoperating rod to disengage the clutch and stop the operation of themachine.

The swinging movement of the trigger plate 79 to carry the stop out ofthe. path of arm 75 will also be produced by the movement of the arm 48of the upper bottle clamp safety stop mechanism previously described astaking place when one of the bottles is lifted by the brush spindle. Forthis purpose the upper edge of the trigger plate 79 has a horizontal arm85 projecti'ng from it in position to be engaged by the vertical triparm 48 so that when the latter is swung inwardly it swings trigger plate79 rearwardly against the pressure of its spring 83 to release the lever75, whereupon the spring of said lever causes it to swing to the dottedline position .to open the clutch and stop the machine. In order thatinjury may not be caused to the machine by a careless'operator startingit in operation again after it has been automatical'ly stopped, andbefore the cause for stopping the machine has been discovered andremoved, a 'dog 86 is provided tdengage the arm 75 and prevent its beingreturned to its normal position as long as the trigger plate 79 remainsin its depressed position. Thls dog 86 is pivotally mounted on thetrigger plate 79 and has a tooth 87 extending only part way across itslower surface 'so as to only be in the path of travel of a tooth 88 onthe end of arm 75 when the trigger plate7 9 is in its depressedposition. When the trigger plate 79 is in its normal forward positionthe arm 75 is free to swing without interference by the dog, the dogmerely resting thereon so that after the obstruction hasbeen removed,and thereafter the trigger plate 79 has been restored to its normalforward position, thggnachine may be started in its operation byswinging the arm 75 to its full line position where it will again beengaged by the stop 80. This resetting of the arm 75 may be performed bypressure on the rod 78 or by pushing on the handle 81.

The automatic stop of this invention may be associated with thestopmechanism covered by Letters Patent issued to me on April 10, 1917, No.1,221,889, the rod 24 thereof corresponding with rod 78 and the rod 18thereof corresponding with rod 111.

What I claim as new and desire to secure,

b Letters Patent is:

1. A stop mechanism for bottle washing machines and the like, comprisinga clutch actuating shouldered rod, a spring pressed.

stop out of its engagement with the arm,

and a dog pivotally mounted on the stop to engage the arm when releasedby the stop and disengaged fromthe arm when the stop is returned to itsnormal position. 3

2. An automatic stop for bottle washing machines and the like,comprising a clutch controlling rod, a shoulder thereon, a springpressed pivotally mounted arm engaging the shoulder of the rod, apivotally mounted trigger plate held by spring pressure in a normalposition, a stop on the trigger plate engaging the arm whenthe triggerplate is in its normal position, means for moving the trigger plateout'of its normal position to release the arm, and a dog on the triggerplate to engage and hold the arm in its released position while thetrigger plate is in its abnormal position but permitting the return ofthe arm to its position in engagement with the stop when the triggerplate is in its normal position.

3. A stop mechanism for bottle washing machines and the like comprisinga clutch actuating rod, means for shifting the rod, a stop normallyrestraining said means, and mechanism for moving the stop out of itsrestraining position to permit the \shifting of the rod, said stopserving to engage the means when so moved to retain the rod in itsshifted position until the stop is returned to its restraining position.

4. An automatic stop mechanism comprising a plate, a spring-pressedtrigger plate pivotally mounted thereon, a spring-pressed shifting armalso pivotally mounted on the plate,- a clutch rod passing through anopening in the shifting arm and having a. shoulder engaged by theshifting arm, a stop on the trigger plate for engaging the arm andholding it against the pressure of its spring, means 'for moving thetrigger plate to remove the stop from engagement with the arm, and a dogon the trigger plate having a tooth for engaging the arm and holding itin the position to which it moves when released by the stop.

In testimon whereof, I afiix my signature,

in presence 0 two witnesses.

GEORGE J. MEYER. Witnesses R. S. G. CALDWELL, H. D. CHASE.

